Stones will roll at Sandy concert

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

The 12-12-12 concert at Madison Square Garden will be available on television or online to around two billion people, said James Dolan, one of the producers. A total of 34 US television networks have agreed to show the concert, which begins at 7.30 pm US time on Wednesday (12.30am GMT).

Harvey Weinstein, the movie executive who is producing the show along with Cablevision chief Dolan and John Sykes, head of Clear Channel Communications, said that £18.7 million had been raised for victims of the storm, which hit the New York City region hard on October 29.

The Concert for New York, a benefit run in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, raised £11.8 million by the same point on its way to a total of £40.6 million. The Robin Hood Foundation will distribute proceeds of the Sandy benefit to storm victims in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The concert is sold out and producers urged fans who do not already have tickets not to buy them through brokers such as StubHub, where people have been trying to sell seats at a price higher than the list prices of £94- £1,560. Mr Weinstein said there were also counterfeit tickets offered for sale.

While StubHub has agreed to donate its fee for selling tickets to the Sandy relief efforts, producers say there is no way to recover mark-ups that scalpers receive. They had no estimate of how many of the tickets were bought by people or companies that intended to resell them.

The concert lineup is "99 %" set, Mr Sykes said. Sir Paul will be the closer, followed by a finale involving many artists. It is due to end around midnight, but may go on longer.